Veganism’s New Anthem

Every vegan has heard this question hundreds of times. While it might not be a question aimed to offend, it can definitely get annoying trying to explain that there are literally thousands of foods that don’t come from an animal. That’s why my world was filled with joy yesterday when a fellow vegan friend of mine tagged me in this video entitled “Wha Me Eat” by 50-year-old British Rastafarian reggae artist Macka B.

Macka B performing at the Bristol Veg Fest

Macka B lays down a nearly five-minute track aimed to dispel any concerns about the vegan lifestyle:

We eat from the Earth and leave the animals to give birth

No deaders,

no fur, no feathers

When I tell people I don’t eat meat, fish or dairy

They look at me strangely

In the video showing the joys of his compassionate lifestyle, he sings all this while shaking hands with locals, visiting various restaurants, and dancing with friends who appear equally as joyous as he.

Macka B shopping for various vegan staples in the music video for ‘Wha Me Eat”

Macka B then tackles the ever present “what do you eat?” question by rapping over 70 plant based foods in verse 2 alone:

Bok choy and pomegranate, hijiki and rocket berries

Cherries and strawberries

Beetroot, grapefruit and celeries

You see the meat’s not necessary

. . . And more in verse 3 and 5.

Macka B even spends verse 4 diving into the ethical side of veganism by saying:

A lot of people would stop eat the meat

If they had to kill the animals before they could eat

Look at the way the animals get treat

The unsanitary conditions where some of them keep

I could list my favorite parts of “Wha Me Eat” to create the world’s longest article about a five-minute YouTube video, but the song is most magical when simply listened to a few times on repeat.

Pro tip: Definitely click the ‘CC’ button to turn on subtitles when viewing in YouTube, and check out the full lyrics here. You can’t help but smile when listening to “Wha Me Eat”; Macka B’s positivity radiates through.

And that’s probably why the video has procured over 219 thousand views—and it’s only getting bigger. You can even buy your very own t-shirt through Macka B’s website.

I’ve decided that “Wha Me Eat” is veganism’s new anthem, and it’s going to be a hard one to top.